The archived blog of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).

Oct 20, 2005

(Bio)Shielding Industry

This Tuesday, October 18, a Senate committee moved a bill forward that would create a new agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This new agency would help spur private industry to develop and manufacture medical countermeasures for bioterrorism agents and natural outbreaks such as a possible avian flu pandemic. But the bill also makes oversight and accountability of much of America's biodefense efforts nearly impossible.

BARDA would be responsible for handling the $5.6 billion Project Bioshield initiative to create a new biodefense industry with government incentives and contracts. Exempting BARDA would mean congressional and public oversight of the agency and its important activities would be severely curtailed. A less effective agency and an American public more vulnerable than it should be are the likely results of this erosion of transparency.

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What agency handles anything having to do with, ELF, EMF, Electromagnetic Wave Energy, non-ionizing and Laser and Plasma Wave ionizing Radiation Devices. The enforcement of the laws governing the use of all such technology and laws concerning anything to do with the use these type devices here in the United States.